Time for the next band.  This is a series of four triangular Rhodes stitches symbolizing more mountains.  The thread is Caron Waterlilies in Fir. 

Late Monday afternoon, three raccoon kits popped out of our wood shed and ambled down the path into the garden.  This was not a pleasing sight to us.  One raccoon could make short work of our garden; three might leave a lasting impression.  All three eventually climbed into a young oak and stayed there presumably checking out the garden below.  We decided to let them know they were not welcome to stay.  We threw wood from the wood shed and fist sized stones at them.  I know that some of the missiles came very close to them but they remained firm in their decision to perch in the tree. 

Then we wondered why we were expending so much energy throwing things when we could bring the hose into the backyard and hose them down.  I think we naively expected that they would all fly out of the tree but it did not happen that way. One at a time, two of them backed down out of the tree but the third remained.  We were certain that the two would return.  Whether or not they did, we do not know. 

Yesterday afternoon we watched to see if they would pop out of the wood but they did not.  It seems that they had previously been in the neighbor's chimney.  Those neighbors, of course, were happy the raccoons had left.  We, of course,  were not happy that they moved into our yard.  I just hope they went a little farther away and not to the the neighbor's house on the other side of us.  If they get into that chimney, they could get into the house and make a mess.  Those neighbors are currently on vacation and not due back home for a couple more days.